Nakōdo
by Mystique Maiden
Summary: AU She was his wife, she belonged to him. No one would question his right to punish her -- & she doubted there were many who would even believe he did. She’s trapped. KakashiSakuraSasuke Dark Fic. LEMON.
1. Prologue

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do no own Naruto. The story is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari.**

--

_**PROLOGUE**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

--

It was early one chill December morning when he was found in a basket on the doorstep of an elegant mansion in Konoha, Fire Country, wrapped snugly in several clean & new woolen blankets. A housemaid, coming out to sweep the step, nearly fell over him. The maid shriek, a sound that should have awakened their neighbors, seized the basket by its handle & dragged it into the house.

Within minutes, a small group of servants surrounded the basket, all staring down at the baby with mixed emotion such as bewilderment or concern. The baby boy, though obviously an infant, was not a small one. He didn't seem the least bit disturbed by his apparent abandonment, chortling at them. The infant's little hand clutched a wrinkled & damp piece of paper.

The butler named Mirokawa, bent down & took the note from the child's hand. He smoothed the note & held it out. He read the note out loud in shock. _**"This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her." **_He cleared his throat & cast a glance at the young housemaid who was blushing furiously.

"The son?" one of the footmen said. "That's a peculiar way to put it."

"Not s-o-n. S-u-n," Mirokawa corrected. "Like the sky."

"Wonder if he really was a prince?" the same footman murmured, nudging thoughtfully the basket with the toe of his boot.

Mirokawa ground his teeth audibly. _**"—by one immeasurably above her. An old & wise Gypsy foretold—"**_

"Gypsies & princes?" the footman queried critically. "Doesn't sound right to me."

"Hiroto, if you say one more word!" Mirokawa glared at the footman until he assumed the properly respectful expression. He cleared his throat again & read the remainder of the note. _**"The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

The servants looked at one another, & it was the cook who said practically, "Well, of course the poor mother wanted her baby brought up in comfort, and Kōun Hatake-san has the finest house in Konoha. I don't doubt the girl chose him because of that. And it's natural she'd want to make up a fine-sounding story, hoping to make the baby more acceptable."

Hiroto replied with a heavy emphasis, "She picked right all the way around, didn't she?"

Mirokawa silently agreeing sighed & look somewhat mournfully toward the stairs. "I suppose I'd better…"

The other servants disappeared promptly, giving no more than one or two muffled grunts as elbows & feet collided in the doorway, leaving only the timid housemaid & the butler in the entrance hall. She twisted her apron between her nervous fingers & said hesitantly, "Mirokawa-san, shouldn't we get the baby out of that basket?"

Mirokawa looked down his nose at the infant that is now staring back at him with very wide & very black eyes. "He looks comfortable enough to me. Stay here with him, Mari. I'll go inform Hatake-san." He decided.

With that, he went up the stairs, returning minutes later wearing a resigned expression. He stood eyeing the child for a moment, then bent down & grasped the handles of the basket.

He went & carried the basket upstairs. The child was perfectly quiet & still. The butler delivered the basket to the master bedroom, suffering the indignity of being greeted by a shout of laughter & the words: "Mirokawa _do_ bring babies, after all!"

He had expected it. He knew Hatake Kōun rather well.

--

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Kōun Hatake_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

--

Like it? Click the review button at the left corner. I'll upload chapters for every 10 & above reviews. LOL Enjoy reading!


	2. Hatake Kakashi

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do no own Naruto. The story is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari.**

_**CHAPTER ONE: Hatake Kakashi**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

The entire Konoha knew Hatake Kōun. They know him so well that no one was surprised to discover he had not only taken in the baby boy, but also granted the child his own surname, Hatake -- and the name of Kakashi. The Sun might be the boy's given name, Kōun clarified when asked about the matter, but it was a cursed confusing one.

Young Kakashi thrived in his adopted home. He proved to be a likable infant, sleeping a great deal in those first few months & not at all picky about what he ate. He did ate a great deal, though he was not a fat child. Those who lifted him eventually found out that his structure consisted of large bones & very firm flesh that resembled muscle far more than it did fat.

Kakashi didn't crawl. One morning, he simply maneuvered himself upright & began walking. Staggering still, he fell only once but only when Kōun's small hunting dog, named Pakkun, accidentally knocked him over.

He was no more than three when he began reading. Kōun spoke to Kakashi as he would an adult, answered his questions with total frankness, & encouraged him to think for himself, to ignore society's conventions whenever they didn't appear to make sense, & to carve his mark upon the world.

With Kōun overseeing his upbringing, Kakashi was bound to become a hellion. Which is exactly what happened. A big child, he became a big man. Both powerful & graceful physically, he moved with deceptive laziness & his deep voice held a slightly sardonic drawl. He was unusually pale & unusually handsome, & if he felt any shame attached to his illegitimacy, it certainly wasn't apparent. In fact, he was somewhat arrogant.

In later years, even those who criticized Hatake Kakashi's outrageous ways & abrupt manners rarely disliked the man himself. There might have been a devil in his peculiar black eyes, but it was a laughing devil. And if he presented a mortal danger to wives & daughters because of his sinful charm, he was always perpetually honest in his business dealings & was a man any other count on in a dangerous or difficult situation.

It was quite true & perfectly obvious that Kakashi liked women. He liked women so much that he probably would have been murdered by a number of husbands if he hadn't been exceptionally fast for a big man & uncannily lucky. He's a bit more careful with daughters & restricted himself to just flirting with them. Not so much because society frowned on the taking of innocence without the sanction of marriage, but because he really did like women. And he never wanted broken hearts on his conscience. He _did_ have a conscience. Still, he enjoyed flirting, & was gifted at the art whenever he set his mind to it. More than one young woman had cried into her pillow at night because she couldn't manage to claim his unruly interest for more than an hour.

The people of Konoha didn't quite know what to make of Hatake Kakashi. His scandalous achievement with women was something his friends & neighbors could understand, even though disapproved, but there was so much more.

Kakashi knew things. Things that reasonably he shouldn't have been able to know -- in advance, at least. He cannot predict the future or any of that, he merely possessed an extraordinary perception when it came to relationships, particularly passionate ones. He didn't seem aware of it, but others noticed. Young lovers especially, seemed to flourish if they knew Kakashi. Though whenever the love was obvious & true, Kakashi never made the slightest attempt to even flirt with the lady in question.

No one really understood him. When his adoptive father died when he was 28, he headed west to Suna.

After few years, word of him & his doings would occasionally reached Konoha. Most of the rumors were so mind-boggling that few believed them.

So when the shutters came off the mansion in Konoha early in May, 4 years after, & an army of workers arrived to get the place in shape, curiosity was at its peak. Rumor had it that Kakashi had notified his attorney in Konoha that he was returning, but no one knew more.

It was in the middle of the first week of June when Kakashi returned to Konoha. It was a quiet homecoming for no one realized his arrival.

Destiny is starting to catch up with him.

* * *

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To **my valued readers**: I'm only joking about the 10+ review comment. Though I wish more people would comment to my stories, so I would know ways to improve them & such. Not only for this one, but for my other stories as well. Especially **All Things Well**, because aside from this story, it's the only story I have that is still in progress.

To minniemousemom: Thank you. I assure you, you will like this story.

To Kaname-chan: Thank you. It's not a three-some, but it is a love triangle. You can actually predict what the pairing will be, but as of now, I cannot disclose the final pairing. Hope to hear from you again.


	3. Window To The Past

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do no own Naruto. The story is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER TWO: Window To The Past**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

_What had she done?_

She folded the newspaper & stared down at the picture while the words she's read echoed in her mind. Her solution had seemed best at the time -- the only answer. Whatever the Old One foretold, she cannot kill her own child. Her own flesh & blood… and his.

Now, haunted by a decision made nearly 32 years ago, she looked at the face again, searching for some sign that she had not made a tragic error. As she continued to look, a sudden coldness seeped into her very soul. No resemblance there. Not to her & definitely, not to him. _And those eyes._ It was evident even in the newspaper photo that the eyes were strange & held an eerie dullness, like the lifeless eyes of a doll. She didn't recognize the face, even the name was unfamiliar, but everything inside her screamed that she had given birth to this man.

It was wrong. _Very wrong._ She realized numbly. She unfolded the paper & glanced at another picture in another article on the same page.

She'd thought he would be protected & kept separated from each other, thinking she was able to preserve them both. But destiny, it seems, cannot be denied. Destiny, the Old One had told her, could be changed only with finality. Anything less is only a temporary detour from what is supposed to be. She tried to break the pattern, but she had failed miserably.

Had fate done that to her? Her mind clouded with doubt. Had it been the pattern trying to reweave itself?

* * *

**-- **_**FLASHBACK**_** --**

"_He has but two possible destinies. Death -- or a life that will destroy other people. What you carry in your womb is one true child -- and the distorted, empty reflection of him."_

"_I can't kill my baby," she had said._

"_You must," the Old One argued._

"_No! There has to be another way."_

"_Your lover was not an ordinary man; you know that?"_

"_I… suspected."_

"_He had a gift, a gift that he had passed onto his son, one of the babies you carry. At all costs that gift must be nurtured. Your firstborn must survive for he is your true son. The other is the dark side of your lover's gift. Evil. It must be destroyed at birth. If you allow the other one to live, you're risking the life of your firstborn, & all the good that he will accomplish. The dark one will attempt to murder his womb-mate."_

"_But what if they're separated? I can keep them apart--"_

"_Fate will bring them together no matter what you do."_

_She didn't believe. What mother could have?_

"_You must help me," she begged. "Tell me what to do, how to change their destiny. There has to be a way!"_

**-- **_**END OF FLASHBACK**_** --**

* * *

With no more than a shrug of defeat, the Old One told the poor girl what she could do. The 2 infants must be separated at birth, each to be taken to locations far apart & left in the care of thoroughly chosen strangers. Messages were dictated to provide each infant with the most positive start in life. She can never see her babies, for her mere presence is what fate needed to reconnect the two lifelines.

Now, staring down at the newspaper once more, she felt dread. She went upstairs, going to the attic. She lit a lamp & opened a long, narrow box at the far end corner of the room. Inside was a katana covered in its sheath, made of polished wood & an elaborate gold hilt. Touching it gently, she whispered, "They need you."

* * *

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To aquacrazygirl: Thank you for your comments. It is highly appreciated.

To Ryn729: Yeah I agree with you. I also like love triangles but only if it involves 2 guys & 1 girl, not the other way around. Also, most of my stories seem to be directing towards angsty plot. LOL. But I do love a good romance.


	4. Uchiha Sakura

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do no own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER THREE: Uchiha Sakura**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

"Someone has his eyes on you," Nara Ino whispered as she walked closer to Uchiha Sakura.

Sakura looked up from the refreshment table. Her long & graceful fingers trembled for a second as they reached for another cup. Then she was serving punch again with her usual composure. "Oh? Who?"

"Hatake Kakashi," Ino's blue eyes were bright with amusement & intrigue. "I didn't realize you knew him."

She gazed back at Ino. She had felt that someone was staring at her during the last half hour, but she didn't allow herself a glance around the room. "I don't know him personally. Though, I've heard of him, of course. I was still attending school when he left Konoha," she replied.

"He's been back for more than a month now," Ino remarked, still studying Sakura intently. "Take it from me -- a month is long enough."

Two things were clear, Sakura decided: Ino was telling her she had recently enjoyed Hatake Kakashi's infamous talents in the bedroom, and she was warning Sakura. Ino is a nice woman, but she was an incurable gossip. If she once got into her head that there's something between Sakura & Kakashi -- or any other man, for that matter -- it would be all over Konoha within twenty-four hours.

Sakura felt a faint chill of fear that she tried to contain. Her acting abilities had improved over the past two years, so she was able to smile with a rather arrogant contempt she'd perfected as her shield.

"Really, Ino, if you know nothing else about me, you must at least know that I never stand in line. Not even at the market, & certainly not for a man," she said bluntly. "Aside from that, I consider it my duty to avoid foolish entanglements, at least until I've presented Sasuke with an heir.

She relaxed almost a little when Ino chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Anyway, Sasuke's so charming & attentive that I suppose you have no reason for complaint?"

Sakura maintained her poise. "No reason at all," she said with a slight smile.

Ino nodded then glanced briefly across the room. "Well, you'd better wear a chastity belt then, because Kakashi has that look."

"What look?" Sakura asked before she could stop herself.

"He's hunting fresh game -- and he like his bedmates married." She obviously knew that much, since she herself was married.

Sakura replied rather calmly, "As I hear it, he also likes his bedmates willing, which I certainly am not." She smiled across the table as several people stopped to get drinks, then began filling more cups. She didn't look across the crowded room, even though she could still feel eyes on her. It made her edgy.

Ino laughed again, but kept her voice low so that they won't be overheard. "My dear, unless Sasuke has bewitched you, Kakashi can make you willing. Trust me. Those black eyes of his are absolutely mesmerizing." Ino moved away after giving Sakura a wink.

Sakura continued to smile at the people who approached the table to get their drinks, & when they spoke she was able to answer casually, but her control was strained. If she hadn't promised weeks before to help at this charity dance, she would never come. But Sakura had a reputation in Konoha for being as responsible & capable as she was elegant. Having made a promise, she will keep her word.

She knew most of the people at the dance. She liked a number of them & disliked some. If people asked about her, many would have said they knew her quite well. They were wrong. What they saw in Sakura was only what she allowed others to see. The role she devised for herself was a convincing one. Barely twenty-one, she was often mistaken to be older because of her cool self-confidence. Other women seemed to trust her instinctively with their secrets, yet only a few would explore hers. Except, of course, for women like Ino, who wanted to know everyone's secrets.

Older woman often told her with approval that she was the perfect wife for a politician despite her youth. The perfect wife, Sasuke had often said bitingly.

Sakura shivered despite the heat of the ballroom & pulled herself together. She lifted her chin, looking across the room unintentionally for the first time, & her strained gaze was immediately caught by the black eyes that had been watching her.

He was a big man; that was obvious even though he was lounging back against the wall. A powerful man, even though his posture held a lazy air. His shoulders were very wide, and there was a palpable sense of brute physical strength about him. His thick hair was a severe contrast to his eyes, a silvery mane. His handsome face pale under the light, & a diamond signet ring flashed on the elegant hand holding his glass -- not containing punch, Sakura noted as he raised it in slight salute.

To her. Sakura knew she blushed & she quickly looked away. She was taken aback. He had smiled at her. _Dear God, if anyone had seen that look!_ Those black eyes had met hers with a severely intimate heat that belonged only in a bedroom.

She busied herself, still shaken & avoided looking back across the room, fearing she would meet his intense gaze again. She tried not to think about it which was surprisingly, difficult. She was almost feverish, suddenly uncomfortable in her clothing, as if it no longer fit. When Rosette joined her a few minutes later, the distraction was welcome at first.

"You've been doing this for more than an hour," Rosette commented. "Why don't I take over for a while?"

Smiling at her younger sister, the thought in Sakura's mind was the same one that had kept her going for the past two years. _It will be worth it. Whatever I have to do will be worth it if I can only see Rosette safely married…_

She replied, "My part at this charity dance is to see to the refreshments while your part is to dance, Rosette."

Rosette pouted, but her eyes twinkled cheerfully. "It's too hot. Honestly, Sakura nee-chan, why couldn't you send me to school in the North in summer, & bring me home to Konoha in winter? As it is, I'm getting the worst of things year round!"

Dryly, Sakura said, "If I recall your letters correctly, you love the North in winter. Ice skating?"

Laughing, Rosette placed an arm around her sister's trim waist & hugged her. Sakura flinched, which went unnoticed by her sister. "All right, ice skating is fun & so is dancing, even in the heat of July. But I really want you to take a rest for a little while, nee-chan. You look pale."

"Rosette--"

"No one will notice if you leave. Just slip through that curtain over there, & you'll be in Hyuuga-san's study. It's nice & cool. You can rest there for a while."

Sakura lifted an inquiring eyebrow at her sister. "How do you know it's cool?"

A mischievous child laughed in Rosette's green eyes. "Because Hyuuga Neji thought it would be a good place to kiss me -- and he was right."

"Rosette!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Oh, nee-chan, it was just a little kiss. I like Neji-kun."

"He seems to be a nice polite young man."

Rosette agreed with a slight nod to her head. "He's only a year older than you, in case you've forgotten."

The truth was that Sakura did forget. Sometimes, she felt very old. "Rosette, your reputation is so important--"

"My reputation is fine. Everyone knows I'm a good girl, including Hyuuga Neji-kun. Now, go in there & rest for a bit, ok? I promise to stand here & stir the punch."

Knowing her sister, Sakura was certain she'd be pestered & hassled until she gave in. Rosette is fairly stubborn. Besides, she was already tired.

So she slipped away through the curtained doorway & went inside the study. There's only a small lamp on the table that was lighted, she went near it & sat on one of the chairs beside it. The window was wide open but only sound of insects & bugs in the garden found their way into the room.

She leaned back slowly, wincing slightly as she did her best to relax in the chair. As uncomfortable it was to be here, she didn't want to go home. _Home._ The big, impressive house with its huge number of rooms & corridors, and its quiet & capable servants. It was a cold place even in summer. Or maybe, it just seemed so to her.

* * *

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To minniemousemom: Thank you. I'm glad you like the last chapter.

To Ryn729: Yes, when it's two girls fighting for one guy, it's not that interesting. Maybe it's because we are women ourselves & we do not want to see our kind fighting each other for guys. LOL. I cannot tell you if you're right on your deduction, because that will ruin the whole mystery of the story. But I can tell you that this plot has many twist & turns. Like what Kakashi said in Naruto, Look **Underneath the Underneath**. Or was it something like that? Yes, you would just have to wait & see for yourself. Hehehe.. And I'm glad you like KakashixSakura pairing. I'm getting tired of SasuSaku pairing myself. Unless Sasuke is not a total bastard, it's fine with me. I much rather preferred AU plot if it involves SakuSasu pairing. That way, it won't be too much of OOC on Sasuke's part. I do like it when he's kind of possessive around Sakura. LOL.

To Kaname-chan: LOL Why are you avoiding your essay? What's your essay about? I empathize with you, I never did like doing my homeworks especially if it's an essay. Hehehehe… Goodluck on writing your essay though. Also, you should celebrate now & take advantage of it, because in the next few days or weeks, I'll be busy doing something important. So I cannot guarantee you readers that I'll be able to update everyday. But I'll try to do my best so you guys won't be disappointed.

To Peachss: My apologies for not writing the time period. Anyway, I purposely made it that way, editing the years except for their ages. I can tell you that the year is way earlier than our time. The character names are in Japanese but the time setting & society is much of a western tradition rather than Japanese culture. Suffice to say, I cannot imagine Kakashi, or any man in Naruto for that matter, wearing traditional Yukata. I think they look way better in tuxedo & suits. LOL. About the "&" thing, I apologize for that as well, it's a habit, you see. So I cannot guarantee elimination of that in my writing. But I'll try to change it into "and" if I become aware of it. Thank you.


	5. Vulnerability

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do no own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER FOUR: Vulnerability**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

"Hello."

Sakura immediately stiffened, recognizing the voice even though she'd never heard of it before, because it matched the sensual warmth of those deep onyx eyes. Making sure her aloof mask is on with ease of long & constant practice, she slowly turned her head toward the voice. Watching him as he stroll across the room with lazy posture, she felt panicked & threatened. He sat down across from her & looked at her with bold stare. She suddenly felt exposed, _vulnerable_.

With all the coldness she could muster, she spoke, "I don't believe we've been introduced."

His perfect mouth curved into a smile. "No, but then, we know who we are, don't we? I'm Hatake Kakashi & you're Uchiha Sakura." His words were abrupt to the point of rudeness. He was definitely arrogant, but his voice was elegant & sensual caress.

Sakura now understand Ino's warning about the need for a chastity belt. She was so sure that she was the last woman in Konoha to ever be tempted to break her marriage vows, but that voice affected her like no other. It was like a cat arching its back when stroked. She wondered if her racing heart was anything like a purr.

"I've been watching you tonight. But you already know that. Did you know that I've been watching you for days?" He said.

That was a shock, but she endured it silently. She needed to stop this before it's too late. Her own thoughts were a jumbled mess & she didn't know why or how he could affect her like this. She took a deep breath, "Hatake-san--"

"Kakashi." It was more of a command than a request.

She ignored it. "Hatake-san, I'm a married woman --"

"Uchiha must have robbed the cradle to get you," Kakashi interrupted her without civility. "Somebody said you've been married for two years, yet you can't be a day over eighteen."

Oddly enough, she couldn't say it was a flattery, because Hatake Kakashi was too blunt of a man to waste his time with insincere compliments -- even to get a woman into his bed. He doesn't need to use such tricks, she realized.

"I am twenty-one, Hatake-san. And I am _very_ married," She stated with even voice.

His mouth quirked again in that mocking little smile. "Not tempted to stray? Uchiha can't be a good lover; the man's heavy-handed with his horses."

Sakura gasped. She was frank herself & she was hardly a prude, but for any man to speak to a woman in such a way went beyond the boundaries of good taste & decency. Before she can retort, he went on. She was in for another shock.

"Uchiha isn't making you happy, Sakura, & we both know it. You're frozen inside; I can see it. And you are never meant to be that way. Your hair is a badge of passion, yet delicate, & your eyes is wildly green. Your erotic mouth is like a lush flower, you have a magnificent body that is made for pleasure. Even those dull colors & fabrics you wear cannot hide your wonderful form. And you move with such grace, as if you were dancing."

"Don't--" she said in a strained voice, but he continued.

"Uchiha wouldn't know what to do with a woman like you. I'm sure of it. He can't appreciate the fire in you. He probably takes you in the dark with your nightgown pulled up & thinks of nothing but his own pleasure. Does he apologize when he turns to you with his carnal appetites, Sakura? Does he make it a hurried, shameful act instead of something pleasurable?" Kakashi uttered a low laugh. "Gentleman like Uchiha believe there are only two kinds of women: ladies & whores -- and only whores enjoy bedding men. So the gentlemen marry ladies & grope in the dark to breed. Is that all you want? To brood & never feel the hot pleasure of real passion?"

He laughed again. He's eyes blacker than before & filled with heat that burned her. "I'm no gentleman, Sakura. I don't want a lady or a whore in my bed, just a woman. A beautiful woman. I won't apologize for wanting her & I'll look at her naked in the light because God meant for a woman to be seen by a man. And touched by a man."

She wasn't conscious of moving until she was halfway across the room, her heart thumping. She didn't go to the door that led back to the ballroom but another one, & she had no idea where it would take her. It didn't matter. Anywhere is fine, as long as its away from him.

"I want you. I want you in my bed."

"No." It didn't come from morals or her marriage vows or from lack of attraction. The denial came from deep inside her, without thought, spurred by instinct.

"I can make you happy," he said.

"You can destroy me," she heard herself whisper. Then she wrenched the door open & fled, as if away from the devil itself.

* * *

Wow! Talked about major seduction. If that were me, I think I'll escape far away from him & never be seen again. And be sure to completely forget what happened or better yet, change my name & appearance. LOL.

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To Ryn729: Hmmm I see where you're going on your conclusion, but you must remember that the Sasuke in this fic is not the same Sasuke in Naruto. Therefore, his attitude & personality may differ. You might say that if this is not an AU fic, it will be OOC for him. Hehehe… But I do agree with you, Sasuke may not have the full capacity to truly love, if we base it on the anime/manga Naruto. He's already tainted with deep hatred & vengeance. I feel that if he does learn to love, it will also be an intense feeling bordering on obsession & possessiveness. But that's just my theory. We'll never know. Or maybe, if he can learn to drop his hate for the sake of love, maybe it's not too late for him.

To Kaname-chan: I see. LOL. Well, once again, good luck on your essay.

To Peachss: I'm glad that the removal of the period doesn't worry you & yes, it does give you more freedom to imagine. Thank you.


	6. Flight

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do no own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER FIVE: Flight**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

She found herself in a different hallway, walking blindly; she ended up in a small sitting room. It was deserted. Sakura closed the door behind her with shaking fingers. Her heart thudding & her breath coming in jerky gasps. She felt… shattered. Sasuke had never been able to do that to her, no matter how hard he tried. She had learned a way to escape him, a way to preserve herself. In the first months with him, she had found a place inside herself that was quiet & safe. When it came unbearable, she always went there. Where he could never reach her. Where she felt numb.

She understood why that place was unreachable to her now. Hatake Kakashi hadn't touched her nor threatened her with harm. And what he had said, even if indecent, had not been an attack. She knew she was already afraid of him, & yet -- it wasn't just simple fear, & escape is not possible.

Hatake hardly forced himself on her, she reassured herself, but her fear didn't subside. What he intended had been plainly stated. _Seduction._ His own relentless, dangerous, & dreadfully effective brand of seduction. He said he wanted her & she was certain he would stop at nothing to get what he wants. He had meant to add her name to his list of conquests.

But what shocked her the most was that he was able to affect her at all. That any man could. She had felt it. His frank sensuality, his bold eyes, & disgracefully forthright words had penetrated her mask, settling in her body like glowing embers & evoking a heat she had never felt before. It was something she didn't know how to fight.

She slowly walked toward the door. Her heartbeat had steadied so as her breathing. She was calm again. _Few more weeks & Rosette would return to school._ Sasuke was always more careful around Rosette. All she had to do was to avoid any chance of meeting Hatake Kakashi alone. She would have to try to limit attending the same social functions from now on. She had to stay out of his way, that's all.

She made her way back to the ballroom & went beside Rosette at the refreshment table, where a number of men had gathered together. That was not surprising. Rosette was very pretty.

"There you are! I was beginning to worry that you --" Rosette broke off seeing Sakura. "Nee-chan, you're still pale. Are you feeling all right?"

"A little tired, that's all." She could feel eyes on her again. _His eyes._ She had to refrain herself from looking across the room. "I'll be fine. Don't worry. Some of the guests are beginning to leave. We should be able to go in another hour or so. Why don't you go & have a few dances?" Sakura offered.

"Are you sure, nee-chan? I can stay here & help you."

"Nonsense. You go on ahead." Sakura smiled & kept her gaze on her sister as Rosette picked a partner & whirled away in his arms. She would be eighteen soon. Sasuke was encouraging her to go to college because if she didn't continue her schooling, she would likely be married early & leave the Uchiha household for good.

Sakura wanted her sister married. She believed Rosette wasn't ambitious enough to use her higher education at her advantage. But even if she did, Sakura would encouraged her to marry instead. She had to be put away from Sasuke's reach. Only a husband could guarantee that.

_A good husband, please God._

* * *

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To Ryn729: LOL I thought that much. But it's ok. I did expect people to assume that the character's personality in this fic is the same as in Naruto. Though, in some ways, they are. Like Kakashi's lazy attitude & being kind of a perfect, Sakura's insecurity & naivety, Sasuke's dark personality. Yes, Kakashi is quite bold & speaks his mind while Sakura is a little innocent. Opposite attracts. And I understand Sakura's attraction to Kakashi. We do love mysterious & a bit wild guys. LOL

To minniemousemom: Thanks! Glad you like it.

To aquacrazygirl: Thank you. Glad you like it. Actually, the previous five chapters are written as one chapter. But I break it down into multiply chapters so I can prolong the story & make you readers asking for more. LOL

To Leigh4: Wow! I admire your intuition. Very well, here's another chappie. Hope you like it.

To Kaname-chan: Yes, it would be disappointing if Sakura was easy to get. I never did like plot like those. A little resistance is more interesting.

To Peachss: Thanks! And it's good to know that I can inspire others to write.


	7. Contemplation

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do no own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER SIX: Contemplation**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

Hatake Kakashi is lounging against the wall across the room. He watched her. He saw her the first time less than a week before, walking through the park on her husband's arm. Her lovely face shadowed by a stylish hat, but Kakashi had seen a more somber shadow. _Not a happy marriage._ He was disturbed by the darkness he'd fleetingly sensed.

When the uneasiness faded quickly, it leaves behind a hot & intense desire. He watched them walking together yet his sole attention is on Sakura. She was a stunning woman, her body petite yet richly curved, her coloring vivid, & her face is very beautiful. She carried herself with pride, & a grace that was unusually sensuous.

She intrigued him. He immediately found out all he could about Uchiha Sakura, though it was little information. A younger sister in her charge, she married Uchiha two years before. No children yet, which made her less likely to take a lover. He knew women after all. Her reputation as the perfect wife was complimented by her being well-liked. But she seemed to have no close friends.

He was discouraged in the least about what he found out. He managed to see her from a distance several times during the next few days & attended the charity dance only because she would be there. Luckily, she arrived without her husband's escort. He grasped the first opportunity offered to be alone with her. He could have kissed the pretty little sister who obviously convinced Sakura to take a break.

Now, as he watched her, he frowned. After being close to her & gazing into the vividly luminous depths of her green eyes, his desire was stronger than ever, but something was bothering him & he didn't know what it was. He felt oddly uneasy.

He'd been satisfied with her reaction to him & his words. She ran but she wasn't able to hide her own awareness of an attraction. It was a good beginning. And if her final words might have discouraged another man, Kakashi more or less ignored them simply because destruction wasn't what he had in mind.

Still, there was something about her that he couldn't figure. He thought it for a while as he watched, then pushed the question aside. _To hell with it._ Perhaps he was sensing in her a stronger than usual unhappiness. She was young. Younger than any of his other women in recent years. The young tended to feel things more deeply. Or that's what they thought.

Uchiha is quite likely to be heavy-handed with her as he was with his horses, but he obviously had no skill. It was probably the same in the bedroom. No doubt he had treated Sakura like a fragile doll until their wedding night & then shocked her with the rough realities of panting, sweating male needs. She hadn't felt passion in Uchiha's bed, he knew that. There was something in her eyes he'd only seen of young women, a kind of unaware innocence that had nothing to do with physical virginity. It was another barrier that some men were too insensitive to find their way past, & it was still intact in Sakura.

Kakashi was confident in his abilities. He'll be patient for a while & give her a little time to get used to the idea. She'll come to him eventually, willing. He'll make certain it will be an enjoyable interlude; that he made her happy.

In any case, Kakashi was prepared to do whatever it took to get Uchiha Sakura into his bed.

* * *

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To Ryn729: Yes, Sasuke appears to be a mystery here. But don't worry I'll introduce Sasuke in the next chapter. And you'll definitely get more KakaSaku scenes. And about Rosette's name, LOL. Actually, I was thinking of using the name Hana. But I don't think it goes well with Haruno. Haruno Hana, too much synonym. LOL. Also, I did plan on using names that are simple yet with meaning. Like in Rosette's case, it still depicts a flower. Much like Sakura's. Lastly, I've always like the name "Rosette".

To randigirl: Well, all I can say is that Sakura & Rosette are the only Haruno members left. All will be explained on later chapters. This fic is more of western culture than Japanese. And even in Japanese setting, it is improper for a young girl to live alone especially if she has a living relative or family. And Rosette is still studying. When she's on vacation, she lives with Sakura in the Uchiha household. But when she's studying, she moves away to the North. Kakashi's background is complicated. It is made that way.

To Trinnerti: Thanks! Glad you like it.


	8. Uchiha Sasuke

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do no own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER SEVEN: Uchiha Sasuke**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

It was late by the time Sakura & Rosette came back to the mansion. She was exhausted as she passed by the hallway leading to the master suite. Their room was distant from Rosette's room & the servant's quarters.

There was light under the door & Sakura hesitated for an instant. She'd hoped her husband would be asleep when she got back. Her mouth went dry & quietly went in, her mask firmly in place.

He turned immediately away from the window & looked at her with narrowed eyes. He was still fully dressed. _A bad sign._

"Where the hell have you been?" Sasuke demanded sofly.

Sakura closed the door & leaned back against it. "I couldn't close down the refreshment table until after midnight," she replied in a low, reasonable voice.

"I told you!" His voice harsh now. "I told you not to go to the party without me!"

Sakura would have protested that he told her at dinner he didn't want to accompany her, but she knew it wouldn't make any difference. Nothing would make any difference now. After two years, she was all too familiar with the irrational way his rage fed on itself. Something had made him angry, a small thing he probably didn't even remember now.

He came toward her slowly, like a predator, smiling evilly. He had a strap. Sakura stared at him. A cold dread formed in the pit of her stomach. Her vision became unfocused, then slowly darkened until she didn't see anything. Or hear anything. Or feel anything.

Until he was finished.

* * *

Sorry, this is a very short chapter.

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To Ryn729: Here's a glimpse of Sasuke's personality. Sorry if it's too short. I promise to make up for the next chapter. Enjoy!

To minniemousemom: Thanks!

To Trinnerti: Yes, the question would be, how far will Kakashi go to have Sakura as his own.


	9. Uzumaki Naruto

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do no own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER EIGHT: Uzumaki Naruto**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

Hatake Kakashi wasn't one of the members of the Konoha Council & he wasn't particularly interested in politics, but he attended a meeting of the council a few days after the charity dance. He didn't contribute, just watched & listened with a slight smile, his onyx eyes flicking from one man to another.

"Kakashi, what are you doing here?" Uzumaki Naruto slid into the seat next to him, his eyebrows lifted in an expression of exaggerated surprise.

Since the heated discussion was going on at the front of the room, Kakashi didn't bother to lower his voice. "Making certain the city village isn't run by thieves & scoundrels, of course. Is it, by the way?"

"Well, of course it is," Naruto told him severely. "You don't think any honest man would want a councilman job, do you?"

Kakashi smile briefly. "I'm surprised they chose Uchiha as Ambassador. He's a bit young for it."

"My age." Naruto, who was twenty-five, shrugged tolerantly. "He sure as hell got the most votes in the election. Very smooth & charming."

Kakashi turned his head, studying the man he'd known for most of his life & one of the very few he trusted implicitly. "You don't like him."

"Yes. He's pleasant enough, I suppose. The ladies seem to think he walks on water. Whe he married Haruno Sakura, I expected to see black crepe on half the doors in town."

"And did you?"

"No." Naruto smiled in amusement, the whiskers-like mark on his face twitching like something alive. "But you should have seen all the wistful faces at the first dance the Uchihas attended after their honeymoon."

Kakashi returned his gaze back to the front of the room & singled out the Uchiha. Tall, athletic, handsome; a dark-haired man with a boyish face the ladies would certainly find attractive, & deep onyx eyes set under unusually straight brows. He didn't like the eyes, he decided thoughtfully. There was a perplexing shine to them when Uchiha turned his head a certain way. After a moment, he asked, "Do you trust him, Naruto?"

Naruto leaned back & crossed one leg over the other. "Depends. In business, yes, if he's risking as much as I am. Politics… maybe. But he's ambitious & I have a feeling he doesn't care who he steps on. I'd lend him money on his word."

Naruto looked at him inquiringly. "Why the sudden interest in Uchiha, Kakashi?"

"Idle curiosity."

In a dry tone, Naruto replied, "You're never idle despite your lazy air, & your curiosity always means something. Going into business with Uchiha?"

"No."

"I see. She's very beautiful."

Kakashi looked at him. "She is," he agreed.

Naruto wasn't smiling. "And very young, Kakashi."

"She's not."

"He married her."

"The only wife I want," Kakashi drawled softly, "is someone else's."

After along moment Naruto said, "When you say something like that -- and mean it, what's more -- I could really dislike you."

With no change in his faintly sardonic expression, Kakashi replied, "Do you mean you don't want to take my money tonight at the game?"

Naruto grunted & looked away half angrily. "No, dammit, I don't mean that. But I'll tell you honestly -- if I didn't believe you drew the line at going after the wives of your friends, I wouldn't let you into my house."

"I would never bed a man's wife in his own house, Naruto. Even my manners aren't completely hopeless."

"Kakashi, for God's sake --"

Chuckling, Kakashi said, "Relax. Hinata is quite happy in your marriage. I _do_ draw the line there." He gave his friend a dry look, but offered no further remarks on the touchy subject.

Naruto wanted to remain angry. In all truth, he was often disappointed by his friend's devious pursuit of the women he wanted. It was a façade of Kakashi's personality that had always struck him as wrong somehow, not morally, though it was that, of course, but simply because it didn't quite seem to belong to the man he'd known for more than 10 years.

And he was so… peculiar about it. Almost philanthropic, in fact, though he'd never used such reasoning as an excuse. Kakashi didn't offer either explanations or excuses, & tended to be mocking or blandly uncommunicative if one of his friends pressed him for either. As Naruto watched, his friend puzzled him. On the surface, Kakashi was a strongly sensual man who preferred a fleeting involvement from married women simply to avoid the entanglements of drawn-out affairs or the possibility of marriage himself. There was more to it, he thought.

Kakashi became involved only with _unhappy_ married women, & Naruto was almost positive he'd never been wrong in his assessment. Whether through instinct, perception, or just plain observation, he consistently chose women who seemed, after ward, to settle down in their marriages with perfect contentment.

It was strange, to say the least.

"You're frowning, Naruto."

He looked at Kakashi & wished he could remain angry. He couldn't. "Kakashi, one of these days God or the devil's going to teach you a lesson, & I hope I'm around to see it."

"A lesson?" Kakashi was smiling faintly.

"Yes. Either you'll pick the wrong lady, the wrong husband or the wrong time, & find yourself up to your arrogant nose in trouble."

Kakashi laughed. "Consider me duly warned. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll leave. They're going to be at it for quite some time, & I have an appointment in the park."

"What's in the park?" Naruto asked blankly.

"Uchiha Sakura," Kakashi murmured, getting to his feet.

"Don't tell me you've persuaded her to meet you already? In a public place no less."

"Unfortunately, no. I haven't seen her since the charity dance the other night. But she's in the park now, & I want to see her while Uchiha is occupied."

"How'd you know she's in the park?"

Kakashi looked down at him for a moment & then smiled mockingly. "How else? The devil whispered in my ear, Naruto. See you tonight." He strolled out of the room as lazily as he'd entered, leaving his friend to sputter wordlessly.

* * *

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To Ryn729: LOL, I guess. Hehehe…

To minniemousemom: I agree. Even in the manga/anime, he is one.

To JiraiyasGirl: I agree. Thanks for loving it. Enjoy!


	10. Second Encounter

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER NINE: Second Encounter**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

Once outside the building, Kakashi quickened his pace. Of course, it wasn't obvious since he merely took longer strides. He knew Sakura was in the park, knew it without question. And if he did in fact owe his thanks for the knowledge to the devil, then so be it. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd known something to rationally explain it. He'd just gotten used to the odd sensation.

Today, he was too eager to see Sakura to care how he knew where she was. He'd made up his made at the dance to be patient, but he hadn't expected to not even see her in the days since. It made his frustrated; he didn't like it at all. As far as he knew, she hadn't gone outside the Uchiha mansion. He had seen her little sister the following evening at a large party, & had overheard that Sakura was a bit under the weather.

One of the women talking, obviously an acquaintance, had asked in a very discreet way if the "illness" was of the nine-month variety, & Rosette had bluntly replied that, no, Sakura wasn't pregnant.

Kakashi had been glad to hear it, though he was regretfully aware even her pregnancy would not stop him. He felt a curious urgency when he thought of Sakura, & the sensation had been growing gradually. He became aware of it the night at the dance. Later when he was home, he had an edgy feeling of restlessness that was unfamiliar to him. It was a little unnerving because he didn't understand the cause of it. And if the disturbing sensation wasn't enough, another puzzling thing had begun that night. Even though he tended to sleep soundly, that night he had awakened often from troubled dreams he could not remember. And each time, in the first fleeting moments after waking, he'd felt a ghostly sense of pain, a terrible pain, that vanished when his eyes opened.

For the next two nights the same thing had happened, though the sensation of pain gradually faded. He'd always been prone to odd impulses & ideas, most of which turned out to be accurate & positive no matter how absurd they'd seemed at first. But this was something else, something new. It truly disturbed him. Once again, however, he pushed the uneasy thoughts aside as he reached the park & saw Sakura.

She was sitting on a bench just off the sidewalk, smiling a little as she watched her sister & several young people attempt to get a kite in the air. Kakashi slowed his pace as he approached her, taking the opportunity to look at her without her awareness. Today, she was dressed in a style just coming into fashion: a dark, tailored skirt belted tightly at her tiny waist, a long-sleeved, high-necked white blouse with a scarf tied at the throat, & a small, neat hat.

Kakashi frowned slightly as he studied her very erect posture. He was no stranger to ladies' lingerie. And he disliked the current version of the corset, which was very long with steel or whalebone strips. It had to be, he thought, one of the worst instruments of torture fashion had ever imposed upon women. The style pushed the bosom forward & the hips backward in exaggerated curves. Making walking, standing, or sitting hideously uncomfortable, & bind at the waist so tightly that normal breathing would be impossible. "Ladylike" fainting was a publicly accepted result of the unnatural constriction, but Kakashi agreed with the opinions of doctors who stated forcefully that it was physically dangerous & ought to be banned.

It bothered him that Sakura was obviously conforming to a ridiculous & dangerous fashion. She hadn't followed yet another practice & resorted to padding above & below the waist in order to make the S-curve look even more exaggerated. But since she had a naturally tiny waist & full breasts, the corset alone was quite enough to give her the stylish appearance. At the dance, she had worn a rather concealing gown with a great deal of lace. One of Kakashi's peculiar talents was the ability to gauge a woman's natural measurements accurately no matter what misleading fashion prevailed, & he'd known only that her figure was impressive.

He didn't like that corset, especially not on Sakura.

He sat down on the bench besides her, & smiled when her startled eyes landed on his. "Hello."

* * *

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To Ryn729: Of course, Naruto will be in this story. Though he's not the main character, he's supposed to be here. Hehehe… Yes this chapter will be another KakaSaku scene. More will come in later chapters. Enjoy!


	11. Temptation & Rejection

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER TEN: Temptation & Rejection**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

Instantly, she returned her gaze to the young people some distance away. Her smile was gone, a blank look on her face. Her delicate hands twined tightly together in her lap & he could feel her tension.

"Surely you can speak to me in public, can't you, Sakura?"

"Not without being ruined," she replied harshly.

He couldn't help but laugh, pleased by her honesty. "That's nonsense, & you know it. I often accompany the wives of my friends, occasionally an unmarried young lady, & it did no harm to their reputation."

"You are not a friend of my husband's." Then she paused & sent him a swift glance from her guarded eyes. "Are you?"

"One doesn't make a friend of a man & then seduce his wife. Not quite honorable. Friends are treated with more respect," he said gently.

This time she turned her head & stared at him. "Of all the barefaced impudence!" Her voice wasn't so much shocked as incredulous.

Nodding, he said, "I'm famous for it. But the real impudence would be if I did seduce a friend's wife. In any case, if it's my plain speaking you object to, I'm afraid that's another trait I'm known for. It saves so much time, you see. I'm paying you the compliment of believing you'd prefer honesty to pretty speeches & bedroom lies. I want you, Sakura. And no matter what you've been taught, real desire doesn't come dressed in silks & satins; it's naked."

She looked away again, a little pale except for the flushed skin over her cheekbones. _A blush suited her._ She really was quite lovely. And young, Naruto had been right about that. But she was two years married, & there was no doubt she was a woman -- even though her green eyes seemed to hold even more innocence than he'd first thought.

"I'm married," Sakura said in a soft, still voice.

"I hope you don't believe that's going to stop me," Kakashi said calmly. "If you were happily married, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

"Have you no sense of decency?"

He didn't fail to notice she let his remark about her marriage go unchallenged. "By society's definition? I'm afraid not. What does it matter?"

Sakura drew a short breath & looked at him with gleaming eyes. "Then we'll set decency aside, since that means nothing to you. And I'll be as blunt as you've been. I don't want _you_. I don't want an affair. Is that clear enough?"

Kakashi rose to his feet & reached for her hand. "Let's walk."

"No--"

He grabbed her hand before she could pull away; & gently but inescapably drew her up. "Don't fight me, Sakura," he said, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm, "or you'll attract the kind of attention you'd rather avoid."

"Do you often resort to blackmail?" she demanded, walking beside him as he began strolling toward one of the paths that went among trees & neat shrubs.

"Only when necessary. Do admit you're more comfortable walking than to feel anything but agony in that corset you're wearing."

It was one of the least shocking things he'd said to her. Since "agony" was a fair description of what her tightly laced stays caused, particularly today. Sakura was a somewhat bewildered to hear her own defensive reply. "To be fashionable--"

"Fashion can go to hell. Forcing the human body to conform to an unnatural shape is foolish & dangerous, especially for the sake of fashion. And any man who'd choose to see his woman look like a pouter pigeon ought to be forced to spend a few hours in one of those bloody contraptions."

She couldn't think of anything to reply to that. She glanced up at him in faint surprise. It was a little unnerving to realize that the top of her head barely reached his shoulder, & even more to believe that his indelicate talk of corsets had been prompted by concern. He really was a strange man. His black velvet voice made her feel things she didn't understand, his bluntness disturbed her & left her without the protection of conventional propriety, & though he'd been very calm & matter-of –fact about it, his determination to have her seemed unwavering.

Then he continued speaking in the same calm but forceful voice, & she wondered a bit numbly if there was anything at all that he considered improper to discuss with a woman. Somehow, she didn't think so.

"Besides that, you don't need any kind of artificial help to have a magnificent body. God gave you one. Seeing you naked has become my life's ambition."

Sakura wanted to gasp or laugh hysterically, but her binds were too tight to allow her to do either without fainting at his feet. She almost told him so, certain he'd appreciate the remark. Instead, staring straight ahead & determined to keep calm no matter what he said. "I'm terribly sorry to frustrate your ambition, but I must," she said coldly.

"Why?"

"I told you. I don't want an affair."

"I'll change your mind." He looked down at her & wondered how long her hair was. It was difficult to judge since the pink mass was arranged in a pompadour. The hand he held firmly in the crook of his arm was very small & slender. In her left hand under the neat gloves, hid the wedding ring, he realized, but he knew it was there.

_Too tight._ The thought sprang into his mind. And he didn't know if it was literal or symbolic. If her ring fit too tightly or her marriage vows did.

"I don't want my mind changed. I have no desire to be flung out in the streets & branded an adulteress," she snapped at him.

"Uchiha wouldn't do that even if he found out. He's a politician. Infidelity means nothing compared to the damage a divorce would cause to his career," Kakashi said coolly.

Until that moment Sakura had believed she'd experienced all the pain a man could inflict on a woman, but this was a new hurt, an unexpectedly raw hurt. _Another man who discounted private torment as long as the world saw only a mask of contentment. Another man who would stop at nothing to satisfy his own needs._ She thought bitterly & wondered suddenly if even the scars of her private hell would evoke a shred of regret in what passed for Hatake Kakashi's heart.

The concern she had thought she'd heard in his voice only moments before had obviously been no more than her imagination. Or perhaps his disapproval of corsets came purely from a man's desire to have the body he wanted undamaged by silly fashions.

"No," she said quietly, feeling empty.

"You don't love him, Sakura."

Genuinely surprised, she looked up at him. "What does that matter?"

He stopped walking & half turned toward her, still holding one of her hands against his arm. They were far away from other people, so distant that even their laughter voices couldn't be heard.

Kakashi looked down at her upturned face & wondered why he'd even said what he had. She didn't love her husband, but, as she said, what did that matter? She wasn't refusing him because she loved another man, but because she was a married woman who couldn't break her vows.

"I won't give up," Kakashi said firmly.

Her green eyes clouded with puzzlement & something else he couldn't read. "Why does it have to be me?" she asked.

"Because I want you."

She shook her head a little, her delicate features briefly holding a kind of bitter anguish. "Is what you want so much more important than what I want? Does it always have to be that way?"

For a moment an unaccustomed hesitation took hold of Kakashi. This wasn't what he'd expected; she was different from the others. She was in pain, this was hurting her. He didn't want to hurt her, & honestly believed he wouldn't. All his instincts told him she needed him like the others had.

Those other women needed different things from him. Though no one who wasn't immediately concerned would have believe it, few of them had ended up in his bed. Some had needed a sympathetic ear or shoulder, some discreet help with problems they didn't dare take to their husbands, some a more vague assistance or comfort. Since he didn't particularly care about his reputation & since none of the ladies involved were harmed by their rumored affairs, he allowed people to think what they liked.

But with Sakura… He acknowledged silently to himself that with her the instinct to help had tangled instantly & fiercely with a desire so powerful, his own needs _had_ been more important to him.

Now her face was filled with mute emotions that hurt him & made her even more beautiful to him in a strange, primitive way, & the intense desire for her swept over him like a tide. She needed him, he knew it. He _knew_ it.

Sakura was caught off guard by what she saw in his burning black eyes. She shouldn't have been caught off guard, because he certainly made both his desire & intentions plain enough. But despite everything he had said, she really hadn't expected him to attempt a blatant physical seduction -- and certainly not in broad daylight in a public park.

When his hands rose to her shoulders & his head bent toward her, she opened her mouth to utter some wild, wordless protest that never found a voice. His strong face blurred & she closed her eyes helplessly to try to shut out what had already gotten too close. His lips were hard, curiously hot, the demand in them so insistent she was aware of every suddenly throbbing nerve in her body. It was a shock greater than any he'd yet caused, stealing what little breath her binds allowed & filling her mind with dizziness.

She was dimly aware of his long fingers tightening on her shoulders, of the whisper of pain as tender flesh protested even in that slight pressure, but it didn't matter. He was drawing her down into some dark place that was velvet & fire, & she was lost there.

He muttered something on her mouth & then he slanted, deepening the kiss even more with stark possession. His tongue was twisting as it stroked hers in a touch so intimate it sent shudder of feverish pleasure rippling through her. Her body swayed toward his, & she felt the hardness of his chest press against her breasts.

Then his hands slid down her back to her waist, trailing new heat & the echoes of old pain, & the reminder was just enough to bring a chill of sanity to her mind & a moan of protest to her throat.

Whether or not he heard, Kakashi raised his head, staring down at her dazed face with eyes so fierce she almost flinched away from them. "You want the same thing I want, Sakura,' he said thickly. "That's what matters. It's all that matters.

She backed away from him slowly, & he let her go. She had a fatalistic certainty that next time he wouldn't... because next time she wouldn't' be able to protest. It took more willpower than she thought she had to turn & walk away, but she did it. Her heart was pounding & she couldn't breathe except in shallow little gasps, but she walked with her head up & she didn't look back at him.

* * *

This chapter is long but I warn you guys that the next chapter will be a short one.

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

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To minniemousemom: Thanks!


	12. Impending Danger

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Impending Danger**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

Some minutes later, Kakashi continued on his way, a frown marring his face in thought. A man suddenly stepped onto the path behind him & stood gazing after him. He was a tall man, well-dressed & obviously wealthy. His lean face was without expression, but a ray of sunlight fell across the powerful hands that clenched into fists by his sides repeatedly in a measured rhythm.

He turned his head & glanced back the way Sakura had gone, & then looked after Kakashi again. His hands continued to flex & clench steadily. A faint breeze stirred the tress, & a pattern of sunlight shifted briefly over his face. His eyes reflected nothing in the light, like the windows of an empty house.

* * *

A very short chapter, indeed.

I'm sad. I might put this story on hiatus for a while. While I'm glad that this story has many hits amounting to 2500+ in less than 2 weeks, I'm a little disappointed that I only got few reviews. Not that I base it on the quantity of the reviews to make this story a hit, but I guess, I wanted to hear from my readers. Not just my avid readers who usually leave reviews (you people know who you are), & I'm very thankful for them, but I want to see other people comment on my story. You know, it boosts my eagerness to continue this fiction. sigh

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.


	13. The Sign

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER TWELVE: The Sign**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

It was late that night when Kakashi went home from the game at Uzumaki Naruto's house. It was obvious he wasn't in the best of moods the entire evening. He'd been on edge ever since Sakura left him at the park, & his luck with cards had been so abnormally terrible that Naruto had nagged him on his lack of concentration -- cheerfully, given that he'd been winning every cent Kakashi lost.

Kakashi didn't care, except that it might have been another sign of his changing luck in other ways & it bothered him.

He let himself inside the house & locked the door behind him, frowning when a man came silently into the hall. "I told you not to wait up for me," Kakashi said.

"Yes, sir." The butler's face was impassive as usual. "A package came for you tonight, sir. It's on your desk."

"A package? From whom?"

"I couldn't say, sir. Someone rang the bell & left the box on the doorstep. Your name was written on the box, but nothing else."

Kakashi nodded. "All right. You can go to bed, Mirokawa-san."

"Yes, sir." The butler bowed his head then left.

Kakashi crossed the hall to his study & went inside. A lamp had been left burning for him, & in the light of it the wooden box on his desk gleamed darkly. He frowned as he stared down at it, surprised to see his name hadn't only been written on the box, but it was burned carefully into the wood.

There was no latch on the box the well-fitted lid simply lifted off. Kakashi set it aside, surprised again to see a gold-handled katana inside. _Real gold._ He realized as he held it in his hands. This was old, he could feel it. The handle was ornate, but the design was subtle & exquisitely made, & the sword itself was heavy.

He found the slip of paper a moment later, & laid the katana on his desk with unconscious care before reaching into the box for what he hoped would be a note explaining the peculiar gift. It wasn't exactly a note, however, merely a single sentence written in the same fine hand that had burned his name into the box.

_Your father wanted you to have this._

Kakashi's first thought was that this had to be somebody's idea of a joke, because Hatake Kōun had never held a katana in his entire life, much less used it.

_His father?_

Very slowly, Kakashi sat down in the chair behind the desk & stared again at the slip of paper. Then he looked at the katana, & he was conscious of nothing except shock.

His _real_ father?

* * *

Thank you for the people who insisted I keep this story going. You guys are my inspiration.

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To Spikey: Sure! I'm glad you like it. Here's another chapter. Enjoy!

To fairy246: Here's another chapter. Enjoy! I also hope this will have a happy ending. Hehehehe…

To Despoina.: Thank you. I'm glad you love my story.

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To Ryn729: Yes. Reading reviews/comments from my readers always serve as a motivation on my part. I'm glad you like my story.


	14. Dark Secret

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Dark Secret**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

Sakura managed to remain at home during the next few days, even though she risked Sasuke's suspicion by doing so. Despite his own busy schedule, he always seemed to know if she'd gone out & where she had been. Any variation from her usual routine was a guarantee he'd spark an explosion of questions, accusations & cruelty. Ironically, he was most suspicious when she _didn't _go out, apparently believing she was more likely to betray him in his own house.

Normally, she spent no more time inside the house than necessary unless it was literally too painful to get dressed, keeping herself as busy as possible so she wouldn't have time to think, to dread. She tried to make certain she was either very much in the public eye or else undeniably in the company of other women, so Sasuke had no grounds for suspicion.

The tactics made her feel the constant tug of an invisible leash, & they weren't always successful since he was sometimes completely irrational, but it was the best way she'd found to cope with an impossible situation.

After what happened at the park she didn't dare go out. She knew that hiding in the house was only a temporary postponement of the inevitable, but she needed the time to try to build up her splintering emotional barriers. Luckily, Sasuke had decided they would give a party -- a large party -- the following weekend, so Sakura was able to claim preparation for it as an excuse to stay at the mansion.

In truth, there was a great deal for her to do, & since the visible evidence of her work greeted Sasuke when he came home late each afternoon, he could hardly deny she'd been taking care of all the arrangements involved in hosting a large social event. Especially, since she made it a point to greet him with numerous questions regarding his preferences. It was another tactic she'd found to be generally effective. By focusing his attention on ordinary details that he had absolutely no interest in, she could induce him at times to release the pressure inside him in small spurts of temper rather than devastating explosions.

"For God's sake, Sakura, I don't care what you serve!"

She kept her voice brisk. "If you mean to discuss politics either during or after dinner, Sasuke, then what we serve for the meal is quite important."

They were standing in the foyer, alone after a maid had bustled by with her arms full of linen, & Sasuke glared down at Sakura. His dark hair was plastered to his scalp with perspiration & a nerve beside his hard mouth pulsed visibly. He looked hot & frustrated; his duties as ambassador were more difficult than he'd expected. The strains of office work coupled with the intolerable heat wave gripping Konoha made his temper more ragged than Sakura had ever seen. At least for the moment it was just annoyance, not irrational rage.

"Why is it important?" he snapped at her.

"In this heat, serving something too rich will just put them to sleep or make them hideously uncomfortable. No one will feel like talking, especially about politics."

"Then serve something mild & chilled. Use your head Sakura." He shrugged out of his coat, scowling. "Is my bath ready?"

"Yes."

She remained where she was, watching him ascend the stairs until he was out of sight. Only then did she swallow hard & slump a little as some of the tension leave her body. Perhaps this would be a good night. She wasn't sure yet, & wouldn't feel completely safe until he was asleep. He could still shout for her & demand she help him bathe, she knew. It was one of the little humiliations he enjoyed inflicting, forcing her to handle his naked body in the most intimate manner possible. The first time he'd made her touched him, she had been unable to hide her loathing & distaste, & she still carried the scars of his resulting fury. Since then she had learned to do as he wished without revealing any of her emotions, to detach the part of her that felt ill & shamed & degraded.

Sometimes she wondered why she didn't go mad. Sometimes she thought it had already happened.

In the first weeks of their marriage, when Sasuke's tendency toward violence had become all too dreadfully obvious, she'd been unable to hide her own shock & fear. Cowering in pain & terror from his blows, flinching from what he said to her & what he demanded of her, she had begged him to stop hurting her. It made her nauseated now to remember, but she had. If anything, her pleading had only made him more violent.

When she tried to fight his anger with her own & at least to make an attempt to defend herself, he'd nearly killed her, & when she had withdrawn into a frozen silence, it had been even worse. Gradually, locked into a ghastly cycle of abuse with no escape, she'd learned how to survive it. She had mastered all the little tactics designed to keep him calm, had sacrificed her independence, her pride, & her self-respect. She had learned that when there was no stopping him, the only thing to do was endure. The rest of the time she simply behaved as though nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened between them, as if their marriage was a normal one.

_God help all women if mine was a normal marriage._

He had only struck her face once, knocking her to the floor. The resulting swollen bruise had made it impossible for her to be seen for nearly two weeks. After that he was more careful, even in his rages. Careful enough to mark her where only he could see. Whether he feared the public censure or he simply valued his favored position in the society in which they lived, she could not guess, but it was clear he intended to keep his bedroom brutality a secret.

* * *

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To I-Love-Akatsuki: Thank you. Here's another update.

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To Ryn729: Yes. You will see more changes for the characters involved.

To naughtyninzi: Yes another genre added. Mystery!


	15. Trapped

**TITLE: Nakōdo**

**SUMMARY: AU A mysterious man with a strange talent. A beautiful woman with a dark secret. And a love fated to break all the rules. (KakashiSakuraSasuke) Dark Fic. LEMON.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto. This is inspired by the story **_**The Matchmaker**_** by Kay Hooper. I do own Mirokawa, Hiroto, Kōun Hatake, Mari, Rosette Haruno, Michiko.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Trapped**_

"_**This child is The Sun, born of great things. His father was a prince, his mother a poor girl, but a good girl seduced by one immeasurably above her. The Gypsy foretold a special destiny for The Sun, provided he was put into Fortune's hands. I so deliver him to Fortune, in good health."**_

* * *

"Sakura nee-chan?"

She looked around with a start then smiled when she saw her sister. "How was the picnic, Rosette?"

"Hot," Rosette replied. "Whatever possessed Neji-kun to think today would be a good day to sit out in the scorching heat, I'll never know. He & the other men could at least take off their coats & roll up their sleeves, but Hanabi, Michiko, Karin, & I nearly smothered."

Sakura frowned as she studied her sister's flushed face. "You should go up & get out of your stays, then take a nice & cool bath."

"That's what I intend to do. Is Sasuke home?"

"Yes, he's bathing. We'll have something light & simple for supper & a quiet evening."

"I imagine Sasuke will work in his study?" Rosette asked, starting up the stairs.

"He didn't say."

"In that case, I'll ask him at supper to give me another chess lesson tonight."

Sakura kept her smile in place until Rosette was out of sight, then turned slowly & went toward the hallway leading to the kitchen. Rosette knew only one side of Sasuke, had only seen the charming face he wore publicly. From the very first he had deliberately set out to make her adore him -- & he'd succeeded.

She had gone away to school immediately after the wedding, & Sasuke had been very careful to do nothing to upset Rosette's favorable image of him when she came home to visit for holidays & the summer break. When she was staying with them he was on his best, most charming behavior and, at least until this visit, had controlled himself & hadn't hurt Sakura badly enough to force her to keep her on bed. Sakura still didn't know what had set him off the night of the dance, & she hadn't dared ask. He certainly hadn't volunteered the information, & he'd long passed the point of apologizing for what he'd done to her, but it had been Sasuke who had ordered her the next morning to remain in bed.

"I'll tell Rosette it's the heat," he had said, smearing ointment over the raw welts on her back. He always did that, & Sakura thought it was because he enjoyed touching the marks he'd made on her flesh. "I'll tell her not to disturb you. And if she does come in here, tell her you're feeling exhausted & want to be left alone. Do you understand, Sakura?"

"Yes." She understood only too well. And when her sister had visited her briefly, she'd been able to smile & say that it was only the heat, she'd be better in a day or so, & Rosette wasn't to worry. She had been careful to make certain Rosette saw nothing to betray her lie.

It would have been a dreadful shock if she had. Rosette thought Sasuke was perfect. It was another of his deliberate little torments directed at her, weaving his charming spell so completely around innocent Rosette. Sakura had considered telling Rosette the truth, but couldn't bring herself to do so. It was not to spare Sasuke, but Rosette… and perhaps herself.

Sakura had her own illusions shattered, & that wound had been the deepest of all. She didn't want to see the pain of it in her sister's eyes. See the dreadful knowledge of what a man could do to a woman. Teach Rosette what fear really was & teach her how terribly vulnerable she could be. And there was another reason she made certain Rosette suspected nothing -- because of what Sasuke had promised to do. There was no place Sakura could go, no one she could turn to with even a faint hope of protecting her sister. Or herself. She had no money of her own, no fiends who would take her & Rosette in if she dared to leave Sasuke.

_And who would believe what she'd suffered at his hands?_ The scars on her body was faint, the result of her wedding night & those first few weeks when his rage had been totally out of control. Since then, he had used the strap or his hands & left no permanent marks on her. _Not visible ones, at least._

She was his wife, she belonged to him. No one would question his right to punish her -- & she doubted there were many who would even believe he did.

She's _trapped._

* * *

_Nakōdo - _Matchmaker

_Hatake Kōun_ – wealthiest man in Konoha. _Kōun_ means fortune.

_Haruno Rosette _– Sakura's younger sister.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

To Norientra, Spikey, I-Love-Akatsuki, Kaname-chan, natures swiftness, Inuki, naughtyninzi: Thank you for reviewing. Here's another chapter. Enjoy!


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